This invention relates to the field of networking, and more particularly to an automotive network and adapter.
Due to the increasing mobility of our society and the constant desire for access to data and for communication with others, communication networks are beginning to be implemented in automobiles. Such networks allow various devices in an automobile to be networked. One or more of these devices may be wireless communication interfaces that allow a user to communicate with distant users or to obtain data from the Internet while traveling in an automobile. One challenge in the implementation of an automotive network is to limit the additional wiring that is needed to implement the network and to couple devices to the network, since such wiring may be expensive or difficult to install during manufacturing of an automobile or as an xe2x80x9cafter-marketxe2x80x9d addition. Furthermore, such wiring adds weight to an automobile and reduces the fuel economy of the automobile.
According to the present invention, disadvantages and problems associated with previous automotive networks have been substantially reduced or eliminated.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for communicating data to and from a direct current local area network (DC LAN) in an automobile includes receiving data from a first device that is coupled to the DC LAN. The data received from the first device has a first data format associated with a first lower level communication protocol that is appropriate for the DC LAN. The method also includes determining that a destination address included in the data identifies a second device in the automobile. The second device does not use the first lower level communication protocol for communication of data. The method further includes converting the data to a second data format associated with a second lower level communication protocol that is appropriate for the second device. In addition, the method includes communicating the data in the second data format to the second device using the second lower level communication protocol.
The various embodiments of the present invention provide a number of important technical advantages. For example, embodiments of the present invention include an automotive network that uses the existing electrical wiring in an automobile to implement a direct current local area network (DC LAN) in the automobile. Devices compatible with the DC LAN may be directly coupled to the DC LAN. For example, a router may be coupled to the DC LAN to provide a user with access to other networks, including wireless local and wide area networks accessed using appropriate wireless network interfaces. The use of such a DC LAN reduces the wiring required to network devices in an automobile and greatly reduces the effort and expense required to create such a network.
Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention also provide a network adapter that enables devices that are not compatible with the DC LAN to be coupled or xe2x80x9cbridgedxe2x80x9d to the DC LAN. For example, a network adapter incorporating teachings of the present invention may be used to couple a computer having an Ethernet network card to the DC LAN or to couple a Bluetooth device to the DC LAN. Such a network adapter may be configured to connect with the DC LAN using an existing cigarette lighter receptacle (or similar electrical outlet) in the automobile. Therefore, the network adapter allows a user to easily access an automotive DC LAN without having to install additional access points to the network. Furthermore, the network adapter may be constructed so that it may be easily moved from one automobile to another. Other important technical advantages are readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions and claims.